1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner comprising a plurality of indoor units and a common outdoor unit connected to each of the indoor units, and more particularly to an improved air conditioner further including an additional indoor unit connected to an air conditioner comprising an indoor unit and an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit, wherein a plurality of the indoor units can be simultaneously or individually operated by means of effective distribution of coolant in the outdoor unit of the air conditioner.
2. Description of the Related Art
As well known to those skilled in the art, air conditioners are generally classified into a separated type air conditioner comprising an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, which are separated from each other; an integrated type air conditioner comprising an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, which are integrated with each other; a wall mounted type air conditioner and a picture frame type air conditioner, each of which is mounted to a wall of a house; a free-standing type air conditioner which is constructed to stand in a room of a house; a single-split type air conditioner having a capacity to operate a single indoor unit in a small area such as a dwelling house; a medium- or large-sized type air conditioner having a large capacity to operate an indoor unit in a medium or large area such as an office building or a restaurant; and a multi-split type having a sufficient capacity to operate a plurality of indoor units.
The separated type air conditioner comprises an indoor unit disposed or mounted in a room of a house for supplying warm air or cool air to a room where the air conditioning is needed, and an outdoor unit for compressing and expanding a coolant so that a sufficient heat exchange operation is carried out in the indoor unit.
The multi-split type air conditioner comprises a plurality of indoor units disposed or mounted in a plurality of divided areas in a building, such as a school building, for individually supplying warm air or cool air to a space where the air conditioning is needed in each of the areas, and one or more outdoor units. The indoor and outdoor units constitute together a plurality of cooling cycles. In the aforesaid multi-split type air conditioner, however, the outdoor units must have sufficient capacities to simultaneously operate all of the indoor units even when all of the indoor units are operated at their maximum outputs. In other words, when a plurality of the indoor units are operated at their maximum outputs, the outdoor units of the multi-split type air conditioner must have capacities proportional to such outputs of the indoor units.
The single-split type air conditioner generally comprises an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor and outdoor units together constitute a cooling cycle. The capacity of the indoor unit is proportional to that of the outdoor unit. In other words, the outdoor unit of the single-split type air conditioner has a sufficient capacity to operate the indoor unit at its maximum output.
Among the aforesaid various kinds of the air conditioner, the present invention is connected with the separated single-split type air conditioner.
In Korea, most homes are generally organized by units of a family, and a life pattern in each of the homes is generalized. Most of the air conditioners are usually operated in the afternoon, and at that time the members of the family spend their time together in a living room or the other rooms of a house.
The air conditioner used in such a home is the single-split type air conditioner. As described above, the single-split type air conditioner comprises an indoor unit and an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit. The outdoor unit of the single-split type air conditioner has a sufficient capacity to operate the indoor unit at its maximum output.
A conventional single-split type air conditioner is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the single-split type air conditioner comprises an outdoor unit 10 and an indoor unit 20. The indoor unit 20 is installed in a living room or in one of the other rooms of the house.
The indoor unit of the single-split type air conditioner cannot be moved from one place to another place in the house. Consequently, the indoor unit of the air conditioner must be installed only in the living room or in one of the other rooms of the house, by which the air conditioning is accomplished only in the living room where the indoor unit of the air conditioner is installed or in one of the other rooms of the house where the indoor unit of the air conditioner is installed.
When the single-split type air conditioner has a capacity to air condition only the living room where the indoor unit of the air conditioner is installed or only one of the other rooms of the house where the indoor unit of the air conditioner is installed, the member(s) of the family in the other rooms of the house where the indoor unit of the air conditioner is not installed cannot enjoy the benefits of the air conditioning. However, it is possible for the member(s) of the family in the other rooms of the house where the indoor unit of the air conditioner is not installed to enjoy the benefits of the air conditioning if the air conditioner has a large enough capacity to air condition all of the rooms of the house, including the living room. To this end, an air conditioner having such a large capacity must be bought, which incurs an economic burden.
The aforesaid single-split type air conditioner having only a single indoor unit does not harmonize with the life patterns of most of the homes in Korea. As a result, a degree of satisfaction with the air conditioner is lowered, and thus a competitive power of the air conditioner is reduced.